Kansas State University Faculty Senate
Faculty Affairs Committee Minutes
February 19, 2013 – 3:30 pm – Union 205
Present: Senators Cochran, Kingery-Page, Kiefer, Markham, Anderson, Bormann, Hsu, Thompson,
Fritch, Linville; Associate Provost Niehoff
Secretary: Senator Hsu
1. Call to Order: 3:30 pm
2. Additions to Agenda: None
3. Approval of January 22, 2013 Minutes - Minutes approved by email quorum.
4. Old Business

Update on Post-Tenure Review Task Force
o Associate Provost Niehoff related that the Faculty Senate Faculty Affairs is engaged
with the Provost's Office on the implementation of a review process. Senators
Thompson and Kiefer are part of this task force and Associate Provost Niehoff
represents the Provost's office. The task force includes one dean, two department heads,
four full professors, and four associate professors. The task force is making progress
according to schedule.
5. New Business

C157 Revision
o Senator Fritch gave a synopsis on the University Handbook revision process recently
completed by the University Handbook Committee the past year. FS President-Elect
Keen and Senator Hosni initiated content revisions to C157 (dean review) last year and
have been working with the Provost’s Office and the University Handbook Committee.
Senator Fritch shared with FAC drafts of proposed revisions.
o FAC members raised the issue of transparency and the tension between the anonymity
of reviewer comments and deans' need for access to written feedback in order to make
improvements. Senators also discussed the fine balance between reviewer
confidentiality for the sake of freedom from retribution and abuses of the process by
reviewers - i.e., personal vendetta and retributive use of anonymity.
o A first reading of the revised C157 is scheduled for the next FAC meeting; Senator
Fritch will invite President-Elect Keen and/or Senator Hosni to join the meeting.
Senator Fritch called for any comments to be transmitted to FS President Keen; no
further comments were submitted.

Faculty Senate Resolution/University Statement re: Dale Askey
Faculty Affairs Committee – February 19, 2013 Minutes – Page 1
o Senator Fritch related the factual history of an extant lawsuit by Edwin Mellen Press
against former K-State faculty member and senator, Dale Askey for comments he wrote
in a personal blog in 2010. Articles have appeared about the lawsuit in the Chronicle of
Higher Education and Inside Higher Ed, links to which have been shared by Senator
Fritch.
o Senators Kingery-Page and Hsu raised the idea of different proposals to issue a FS
resolution urging the KSU administration to issue a statement supporting Mr. Askey in
the interest of academic freedom. Senator Hsu read an excerpt of a letter shared by
Senator Potts with the K-State American Association of University Professors (AAUP)
chapter. This letter from Henry Reichman, Chair of the Committee A on Academic
Freedom and Tenure, to KSU President Schulz, concludes:
"In a February 13 letter to McMaster University, CAUT urged its administration to
assist Mr. Askey with his legal expenses as an indication of the university’s
commitment to academic freedom. We urge the administration of Kansas State
University to consider doing likewise."
o FAC members drew a distinction among:



a proposed resolution urging KSU administration to legally support Mr. Askey
one urging KSU administration to issue a statement
one supporting Mr. Askey and expressing concerns about incursions into
freedom represented by the lawsuit
o Several senators expressed support for the third option. Discussion about KSU's official
position and decision not to issue a statement ensued, including citation of the Inside
Higher Ed article where a KSU spokesperson indicated that the university "does not
comment on pending litigation".
o Senator Thompson raised some cautions in consideration of the limited information
about the case, citing the language of a 2011 KSU Faculty Senate resolution concerning
a case at UMKC, which Senator Fritch shared with the committee. Senators discussed
issuing generic statements about respect for academic and intellectual freedom as a
statement of principle and a gesture of support for Dale from the KSU faculty.
o Senator Kingery-Page volunteered to draft a resolution and moved to issue the
resolution; Senators Markham and Hsu seconded the motion. Senator Fritch called the
vote, which passed by majority.
6. Announcements

Senator Fritch indicated that nominations were sought for the chairship of FAC beginning in
2013-2014, as she and Senator Thompson were not running.
7. Meeting adjourned at 4:30 pm
Faculty Affairs Committee – February 19, 2013 Minutes – Page 2